Birmingham City Council has launched an investigation after a lorry trailer was abandoned in a city street. Part of the road and pavement in Dollman Street, Nechells, cracked beneath the weight.

It was understood the rotting equipment, located immediately outside the council’s Museum Collection Centre, had been there for months and perhaps even longer. We were unable to contact Brantwood LTD, a metal recycling firm, whose company name appears on the side of the trailer.

The firm has dormant social media pages and a telephone number no longer in service.

The owner of Brantwood Tyres told BirminghamLive he bought the ‘Brantwood’ brand and its shop, based in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, three years ago. He stressed his firm had “nothing to do with trailers” or Brantwood’s previous operations.

Community activist Gerry Moynihan, who snapped images of the trailer last month, said: “The council always speaks about putting Birmingham on the map and encouraging tourism, but I would be ashamed to take someone along Dollman Street, home of the council’s Museum Collection Centre, which is open every Friday to tourists.

“The street is filthy and has this massive abandoned trailer full of industrial waste. It’s been there so long that it’s legs have sunken into the pavement.”

Birmingham City Council said it had launched an investigation into the circumstances around the trailer in Dollman Street and escalated the issue with Kier Highways. A spokesperson for the authority said: “We’ve had an update from our parking enforcement team that this has now been passed to Keir.”

Since then, BirminghamLive has contacted the relevant authority twice to inquire about the anticipated removal date of the trailer, but we have not heard back.